As the U.S.-Chinese trade tussle weighs heavily in Asia, what do Chinese entrepreneurs truly think about the conflict? finews.asia asked an Asian family office.
1. Trump: From Joke to Juggernaut
Chinese entrepreneurs, like almost everyone in Asia, didn’t take Donald Trump seriously. Some saw him as a comical figure who became an accidental head of state; others predicted he would be guided by mercantilist goals and soundbites, and not much else.
However, as Trump’s grumbles against China grew into systemic hostility from the U.S. political community, Chinese entrepreneurs started to take notice, and think. Apart from checking stock indices, some of them began to follow Trump’s approval ratings.
Having seen Trump’s muscular moves in past months and China’s robust responses, many Chinese entrepreneurs think the China-U.S. relationship will indeed have a fundamental re-set, not just on trade, but on a geopolitical level as well.
2. Trade Talks: Wooden Mace and Fine Sword
(Image: Shutterstock)
Initially, Chinese entrepreneurs thought Trump’s frontal and boisterous negotiating style would be no match for China’s nuanced, multi-faceted, «needle-in-velvet» approach that was also supported by Washington lobbyists, Wall Street, and many «old friends of the Chinese people».
Gradually, to the great surprise of almost everyone, Trump's broadcast blasting style, coupled with the steely intellect of Robert Lighthizer and team on the ground, seemed to wrong-foot the Chinese side. By demolishing the strategic vagueness which would be indispensable to internal consensus-building of China, Trump turned China’s finesse for closed-door deals into its disadvantage.
One Chinese entrepreneur wryly commented: who could have imagined the American wooden mace would break China’s fine sword.
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